Former 'Biggest Loser' contestant owes new lifestyle to show

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Being booted out early in "The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition" didn't stop former contestant Francisco "Eboy" Bautista from continuing his weight-loss journey.

In fact, Bautista said the show even motivated him to become a beacon of change for other people with similar problems.

“After 'The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition,' all of us who joined the show wanted to pay it forward. The show jump-started our weight loss journey, so it’s just a matter of continuing it and sharing it to others," he said.

Bautista was the heaviest among the first season contestants, having weighed 481 lbs during the show's first weigh-in.

He lost a total of 97 lbs before being eliminated.

“After my experience in the competition, I wanted to prove that despite being overweight, one can still pursue a healthy lifestyle through exercise and the right diet. Weight loss comes afterwards,” Bautista said.

Bautista has vowed to maintain a weight below 300 lbs and is currently practicing yoga to compliment his newfound lifestyle. He is also on a strict Paleo diet, which includes meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits and nuts.

“With my regimen, if I eat wildly, it would just maintain my weight and not lose. I’ve learned 70 to 80 percent of your weight loss purely depends on your nutrition,” he wrote in a blog post.

Bautista is currently a member of the Bikram Yoga studio in Alabang, where he continues to surprise fellow practitioners with his ability to keep up with the different poses despite being overweight.

“I am glad that after every practice, I would get feedback from them, giving me tips and suggestions on how to ‘downscale’ on my postures. I like the challenge and how it encourages me to try to get the proper form,” he continued on his blog.

"I wanted to tell people that what I’m doing is not easy. That’s how I inspire others to a healthy lifestyle,” Bautista added.

ABS-CBN's "The Biggest Loser" will return on its second season this January with "The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition: Doubles."